82 Transactions. 



I. Birds actually observed in 1908. 

 Porzana plumbea (Gray) subsp. ? 



Crex plumbea Gray in Griffith's ed. Cuvier's " Animal Kingdom," 

 vol. 8, p. 410, 1829 : New Zealand. Ortyqometra tahuensis Cheese- 

 man, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 23, p. 220, 1891. Porzana plumbea 

 Buller, Suppl. Birds N.Z., vol. 1, p. 63, 1905. 



This bird was commonly heard, though rarely seen, in the swamp close 

 to where we camped in Denhani Bay. A dead specimen, unfit for preser- 

 vation was picked up on the north coast. Though it nested on the island, 

 its nest was not found, but a young one just hatched was obtained on the 

 5th November. As no specimens were collected, I am unable to decide 

 the subspecific relationship of the Kermadec-breeding form, the range of 

 the species extending over the Pacific islands, Australia, and New Zealand. 



Pelagodroma marina (Latham) subsp. ? 



Procellaria marina Latham, Index Ornith., vol. 2, p. 826, 1790 : South 

 Atlantic Ocean. Pelagodroma marina Cheeseman, loc. cit., p. 226 ; 

 Buller, loc. cit., p. 98. 



This species has been recorded as breeding on Meyer Island. I was 

 unable to verify this, but as two dead specimens were picked up on Sunday 

 Island in the spring it is quite likely that a small breeding colony does 

 exist there. Mathews (Birds Austr., vol. 2, p. 24, 1912) has named the 

 Noezelanic form P. m. maoriana, and has suggested that Solander's descrip- 

 tion of his P. passerina may be applicable to the present breeding race. 



Puffinus assimilis assimilis Gould. 



Puffinus assimilis Gould, Synops. Birds Austr., pt. 4, app., j). 7. 

 1838 : Norfolk Island ; Cheeseman, loc. cit., p. 226 ; Buller, loc 

 cit., p. 100. 



As far as I ascertained, this bird only bred on Meyer Island during the 

 winter months. Arriving in May, its eggs were not laid until the end of 

 June, and chiefly in July. The type locality of the species is Norfolk Island, 

 where the bird also breeds in July and August, and it has recently been 

 again recorded from Lord Howe Island, probably since Oliver's paper was 

 written, as he does not include this species. Gray had, however, noted it 

 at Lord Howe Island fifty years ago {Ihis, 1862, p. 244). 



Mathews (Birds Austr., vol. 2, pp. 50-70, 1912) has recently reviewed 

 the allied forms of this species, and has shown that Forster's Procellaria 

 gavia was given to a form of this species, and must be used for the New- 

 Zealand-breeding bird, which differs, as already indicated by Captain Hutton 

 and Buller {loc. cit.). The bird commonly known to New Zealand students 

 as P. gavia, following Hutton (Cat. Birds N.Z., p. 45, 1871), who, however, 

 admitted its doubt, has been renamed by Mathews Puffinus reinholdi {loc. 

 cit., p, 74). I have examined specimens of this species from the type locality 

 of Forster's P. gavia, and there can be no doubt of the accuracy of Mathews's 

 determination. Mathews has also drawn attention to the discrepancies be- 

 tween Reischek's and Sandager's accounts of the breeding of these species, 

 and suggested that possibly there may be a breeding form of Puffinus Iher- 

 minieri resident in New Zealand which has been confused with P. assimilis 

 Gould and P. reinholdi Mathews. 



